There are some tutorials for setting up the paralllel boost/cut in a DAW on YouTube, I think the same should be possible with the EQ2
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Source Audio EQ2
- Thread starter DirtyDuke
- Start date
Changed the way I've been using my EQ2 lately and I really love the results. I'm using it on split mode with all 20 bands reducing resonant peaks of my bass in E standard tuning and E flat standard. Makes the bass sound really clear and punchier. Basically compresses the sound so to speak without using a compressor. To be honest I ran out of bands to use and could of carried on going reducing the peaks in the upper mids/treble areas. Could easy of used 2 EQ2 pedals but it sounds pretty good as is!
I used it in a live situation where my backline was doing the donkey work last night and it was awesome. What a pedal.
I used it in a live situation where my backline was doing the donkey work last night and it was awesome. What a pedal.
YES, please share!!! Or at least, tell us more of your process.
I can and will once I get my computer fixed (soon) Lost the lead to do it with phone.
I put every band at the highest Q so 10.0. then use a frequency chart to go through the bass guitar's frequencies. Then judging how much they ring out/resonate I cut them a few dB or some like 5/6 dB. So for example I was getting a lot of ringing at the note A so I cut at 55hz and a bit at 110hz. Then i tried playing the notes up or down in a chromatic order one at a time to see if they sound even in their resonance.
It's an interesting rabbit hole to go down and what was particularly interesting in my case was doing it for E flat standard was like a whole new ball game altogether. A completely different beast even though it obviously uses the same notes.
Sharing your settings might not be all that effective for others. Those resonances can be related to lots of factors-- mainly the room, but also the amp, the cab, the bass body (if acoustic), the relative pickup position to the length of the string (which changes from fret to fret), plucking hardness & position, etc.
Still, the EQ2 is really useful for room compensation. I find the room resonances and notch them enough to balance out my signal. In one situation, I used a sine wave sweep through a speaker to find out which freqs poke out, then I notched 'em on the EQ2. For my case, it only took about 3 notches to do what I needed.
Still, the EQ2 is really useful for room compensation. I find the room resonances and notch them enough to balance out my signal. In one situation, I used a sine wave sweep through a speaker to find out which freqs poke out, then I notched 'em on the EQ2. For my case, it only took about 3 notches to do what I needed.
Also a good way to tell how much the notes ring out is to put the Q at 10.0 and put the slider to as much gain as it will go. Then sweep the frequencies and anything that sounds crazy resonant/loud cut. Be careful not to cut too much though but this is where the EQ2 is great, doing 1db moves at a time is very intuitive and useful.
Yes absolutely you can do that. You can absolutely clean up the rest of the bass as well though. Different rooms will have different frequencies that will need adjustments like you say. Using headphones is probably best but my set up the room is pretty dead so can hear the instrument more so.
It's still work in progress for me and a little goes a long way for sure.
For detecting them I set the Q as high as it will go then whack up the gain as high it will go then sweep through the frequencies to find them. Once they jump out (some really loud, some not so) I reduce the dB to try and balance the sound of the instrument. I'm not boosting the gain above 0 at all, just reducing the gain.
What lead me to this process was using daws and mixing songs/trying to make things sound clean in the mix. As well as doing the overall mixing at live gigs for the band.
I play all sorts really and wasn't necessarily getting bad problems. I just wanted to see how much I could clean up the sound at source. Helps with making things less muddy whilst still keeping a decent low end and sound in general.
I'm by no means an expert but just want to see how far I can push things/chase the tone dragon.
I’ve used the eq2 first in chain to even out some of the differences between basses. Cut out highs on one, cut out different amounts of lows on others. Made for not having to touch anything else in the chain. Then using 2nd channel last in chain as sort of a cab sim.
What you are doing sounds interesting. But do you find you are taking out some of the essential character of the sound at the same time that you are smoothing the response?
If I cut a frequency too much yeh it definitely can take out that essential character of the sound. Trying to find that balance. If I switch off my EQ2 my sound is a lot more bass-y sounding but a lot more muffled compared to the clearer (and still bassy) EQ2 patch. Still has the vibe/essence of my thunderbird.
SORRY, MY POST CAME THROUGH BEFORE THIS LAST REPLY. WILL REVISE.
It sounds like you are striking a good balance. At first I thought that if you are needing ore than 20 bands to do this, you might be "fussing" too much. But it sounds like you are just getting really detailed about finding your ideal clarity. That's awesome.
As I mentioned, tuning out room nodes is useful if you always play in the same room. But you need a new preset for every room and it can be time consuming.
For acoustic bass, it's essential to tame the piezo pickups, and tame resonances of interactions between the resonating body and the piezo. One and done.
You've given an interesting approach to electric bass, too.
It sounds like you are striking a good balance. At first I thought that if you are needing ore than 20 bands to do this, you might be "fussing" too much. But it sounds like you are just getting really detailed about finding your ideal clarity. That's awesome.
As I mentioned, tuning out room nodes is useful if you always play in the same room. But you need a new preset for every room and it can be time consuming.
For acoustic bass, it's essential to tame the piezo pickups, and tame resonances of interactions between the resonating body and the piezo. One and done.
You've given an interesting approach to electric bass, too.
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Very interesting I will try this. I get my use of compression from working in studios and DAWs. I always use my compressor last in the chain, like a insert effect. So you do this while connected to the computer yes? I admit I haven't really dived into the parametric aspect of the pedal, I've just been using bands. But I only got it a month ago..
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I would normally use a computer but it currently won't start. So I figured out how to properly use the pedal by itself and not using a screen to look at things. Just using the pedal itself is quite intuitive and designed really well. It's also quite cool and easy to sweep the frequencies with the big silver control on the unit.
Also it would still be good to use some compression too if needed.
I did run out of bands to use too. Mainly did all the low end and low mids. I'm seriously thinking about getting another EQ2 and using it for more editing and for a Noble EQ patch at the end of my chain like I had it before. Maybe there's a more efficient way of doing what I'm doing with just the one pedal too.
